


Just A Kid

by FreshTomatoesdevilish



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Hugs, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Internalized Homophobia, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Self-Harm, Useless Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar) is an Idiot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27665366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreshTomatoesdevilish/pseuds/FreshTomatoesdevilish
Summary: [DISCONTINUED]Azula and Ty Lee are dating, and through each other, they manage to find some semblance of comfort. Azula in particular, doesn't want it to end anytime soon. But of course, Zuko finds out.Witness as Azula flaunts the totally useless lesbian side of her, as well as her crippling emotional issues and questionable sanity.This fanfic is essentially an amalgamation of all my pent up TyZula ideas. There will be fluff (a lot of it), angst (A lot of it also) and everything in between.
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 147





	1. TURLEDUCKS

**Author's Note:**

> Since this is my first fanfic, i'd firstly like to apologize for the mediocre writing. In fact, this is the first time i've published any type of fanfic. And though i've tried before, it's never come out how i wanted it to. But this one, i'm quite proud of, despite the lack of a present plot.  
> I will be writing my headcanon version of Azula. It's quite hard to explain how she is exactly. Essentially, just regular Azula: Cunning, always plotting, manipulative, doesn't think very highly of Zuko. However, she smiles a lot less, if only for manipulation purposes. Genuine smiles are quite the foreign concept for her. And even when she does smile, genuinely, it's often fleeting. This Azula is a bit less of a control freak, and likes to try new things (she sees them as a challenge to be conquered) Oh, and she's very soft for Ty Lee.  
> Ty Lee is essentially the same. And since she likes to talk a lot about auras in the show, i figured i'd give her some dialogue that sounds a bit more 'spiritual'  
> I decided to write them in a relationship instead of building up to a romance, as i found i'm better at writing relationships instead of working my way to one. And besides, there are already plenty fics that really get into the nitty gritty of how Ty Lee and Azula can get together. I just wanted to write them together; so i did.  
> Anyway, i hope you can enjoy this fic. :)

**TURTLEDUCKS**

Turtleducks, the perfect amalgamation of everything Azula hated within an animal.

They are small, defenseless creatures, completely reliant on their environment to survive. When they are hungry, they beg for food. And when they are scared, they simply swim away, afraid to even face whatever it was that frightened them so. What pathetic creatures.

And to think that Zuko takes a liking to them. But then again, that’s not very surprising. Much like the ducks, he too is defenseless, he too begs for food and shelter, and he too runs away from his problems. When father challenged him to an honorable Agni Kai, he cowered before him, begged for his forgiveness. What a fool her brother was, and still is.

Though, it’s quite ironic for her to be calling him a fool, when she’s the one feeding these sad creatures. If it weren’t for Ty Lee, she’d have attended to the many other things her father assigned her.

However, Azula had agreed to accompany Ty Lee in the feeding of these ducks, no matter how insignificant they may be. And much like Zuko, it seemed Ty Lee’s taking a liking to them. Something to do with how ‘cute’ they are. Though, Azula was sure that ‘cute’ meant defenseless.

“Isn’t this fun, Azula?” Ty Lee asked.

Azula didn’t bother to face her. She wanted it to be over with, for Ty Lee to just dump the bread into the pond and take her somewhere more enjoyable, have them do more stimulating activities. Right now, that’s all Azula could think about.

“No, not really,” Azula answered.

Ty Lee spoke as she cocked up a brow, “Why not?”

Her question was so simple, yet Azula couldn’t answer.

She wanted to tell Ty Lee, of all the reasons she absolutely loathed being in this very spot. From the sheer boredom of sitting around and doing nothing, to how it would remind her of her mother sitting here all-day round with Zuko, showering him with the love she never got.

All of it she wanted to spit out and get it over with, but they had no time. And Azula couldn’t bear to weep over her sob story right now, it would be a waste of energy.

“I just don’t like it. This is such a waste of time; we could be doing something better.” She said with a scowl, eyes glared at the ducks as if they were plotting her murder.

Ty Lee tilted her head, intrigue ran through the girl’s face.

“Oh? Like what?” Again, she asked her such a simple question, yet Azula couldn’t seem to answer it.

There were a million and one things Azula figured Ty Lee and her could do. They could go for a walk, visit town square and perhaps even get their portraits taken. They could be eating, talking, hugging. Quite literally anything else other than to sit around and feed these parasitic, ‘cute’ looking ducks.

This was terrible, absolutely abhorrent. What benefit do they gain from doing such things?

“Azula, I can’t know what you’re thinking unless you tell me.”

“I want to do something else,” the princess answered in a whisper.

“What? I can’t hear you.”

Azula gritted her teeth. “I want to do something else.”

Finally, she was able to fully push out those words.

“Well, what do you want to do then?”

Again, what was she supposed to say? The princess already knew what she wanted, but how is she supposed to convey such thoughts?

Agni, now she was thinking like an idiot. Words! she needed to use her words. What kind of foolish question was that? If she wanted something, she should say it out right.

A sigh left the girl's lips; Azula couldn’t help but notice how easy her life would be if people just knew what she wanted. Then, she wouldn’t have to waste her breath, or any of her precious time chastising an incompetent soldier, or telling Ty Lee how she wanted to hug her.

She took in a breath, as Azula never thought she’d utter such words in her life. With a heat arising from her neck, her face followed suit. The royal felt the seeds of regret brew inside of her.

“I want to…hug.”

A few moments of silence passed by, nothing said between the two of them.

Oh Agni, Ty lee must think she’s crazy, absolutely pathetic. What kind of a fool would ask for a hug? How sad is that? She was stupid to even bring that up. 

“Wow, I didn’t expect you to actually say it,” Ty Lee giggled, “This is the first time you’ve asked for a hug.”

Azula averted her eyes from the acrobat’s grey stare.

Again, her face felt heated as her fingers tapped furiously on the grass. She couldn't bring herself to look at Ty Lee, she simply couldn't. Not in this state.

“No, Azula, it’s fine. I’ll hug you, okay?”

“Okay,” Azula spoke. Yet, her voice neared a whisper, almost inaudible.

Ty Lee inched closer, and as if to fluster the princess even further, the girl couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of a blushing Azula.

With the two of them mere inches apart, Ty Lee wrapped her arms around the princess as she rested her head on the princess' shoulder. The Azula reciprocated the hug, though her hands were hesitant, as they merely hovered above the brunette’s back.

“Relax, Zula. That’s kind of the whole point of a hug.” The brunette stated.

“Okay,” was all the princess said, finally able to lay her hands atop Ty Lee’s back.

The brunette hummed at the sensation of Azula’s hands against her skin. A little detail that made Azula’s lips quiver; her arms had to readjust so as to prevent the evident fidgeting.

The princess pulled Ty Lee closer, savored every bit of the other’s presence.

Her head felt empty when Ty Lee was around. No matter how much trouble she found herself in, if she was there, Azula can take it. Because how was she supposed to worry, when she’s not thinking of anything?

The warmth in her face had now settled down, and turned into a fleeting sense of giddiness she couldn’t put her hand on. What was this feeling called? If only she knew.


	2. YOU’RE NO FUN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula attends a war meeting then judo flips Ty Lee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd chapter. I hope you like it. :)

**YOU’RE NO FUN**

As the war meeting drawled on, Azula paid close attention to every bit of information that the general’s spewed out. Her dearly beloved brother even deciding to chime in, which gave Azula an idea.

“We should burn all of it to the ground.” Her words were quick and exact, not even a slight hesitation in her delivery.

The Firelord was pleased with his daughter’s suggestion; he hummed in solemn agreement.

She glanced over. The princess was delighted to see the crown prince fidgeting his fingers, his face twisted in guilt. And though she couldn’t tell if the fresh sweat on his forehead was due to their father’s fire or fear; she was inclined to believe the latter.

Even after came back home, his honor restored and quite literally sitting beside the most powerful person on earth, Zuzu still lacked in creativity. But no matter, as long as he stayed out of Azula’s way, she’d pay no mind to his lack luster ideas.

Finally, the war meeting ended. Zuko was taken away by Mai, the latter looked at him as if the boy was a fresh piece of meat. They looked almost ‘cute’ together, had Azula not known Mai was clinging onto her brother.

Honestly, what did she see in that sad sack of guilt? He couldn’t even decide which way to follow the avatar, let alone achieve anything of greatness. And aside from the sheer joy one experiences as they watched him fail, Azula couldn’t think of any other uses Mai would have for her pitiful brother.

She stared as they walked away, lips pursed and arms crossed. To say that she was disappointed in Mai’s choice would be understatement of the year.

Azula walked back to her quarters, able to hear Zuko and Mai’s distant laughs.

The princess gripped at her door handle. She couldn’t help but grit her teeth, felt her face tense up at the sounds of their giggles. If they wanted to pollute Azula’s stretch of the castle, they were certainly doing it efficiently.

Somehow, she managed to open the large doors without ripping off its handles. And in the midst of her now soured mood, she neglected to look around.

In the absence of her usual caution, someone grabbed at her from behind.

Instinctively, Azula gripped at the intruder and flayed their body to the ground, the princess now in a stance and ready to finish whoever dared to sneak up on her. But her eyes widened as she identified the mysterious stranger.

Her dark brown hair and circus clothes were hard to miss, not to mention the freakishly long ponytail that ran past her shoulders. Oh Ty Lee, what were you thinking?

“ _Ow_ , that hurt,” the girl exclaimed. It prompted the princess to burst out laughing.

“What did you think was going to _happen?_ ” Azula managed to push out the words past her chuckles.

The brunette looked upset, perhaps even angry at the princess. However, Azula couldn’t be bothered to try and understand how she felt at the moment, as her stomach began hurting from her howls.

The amusement went on for another minute before Azula finally looked down; her eyes met with a very disgruntled looking Ty Lee. With her brows furrowed and the bridge of her nose slightly scrunched, it was clear to even the princess that her companion was not in a good mood.

“What?” Azula asked.

“ _‘What?’_ Azula, you just threw me to the ground. That wasn’t very nice.”

She scoffed, “Well, if you didn’t want me to throw you on the ground like rotten cod, then you shouldn’t have snuck up on me. It’s quite simple, Ty Lee.”

Again, the brunette was not pleased with Azula’s response. With crossed arms, she laid on the floor, and completely refused to move past the doorway.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to do _that_ again,” Azula said.

Unfortunately for Azula, Ty Lee had, in fact, done _that_ again.

The brunette refused to get up and walk from the door frame; a look of spite firmly planted on the brunette’s round face.

Normally, Azula would’ve burned whoever blocked her way. Serves them right for thinking they can steal more of her precious time, as if the seconds she spent standing there can be regained with the snap of her fingers. But she couldn’t exactly melt Ty Lee’s face off, can she?

The princess stood there, her mind thought of what to do. Perhaps she’d just push Ty Lee aside? No, she’d surely out up a fight, and she wouldn’t want to waste anymore of her time.

Right then, so Azula should just walk over the brunette. A sound idea on paper. However, she had a just suspicion that such an action would only further enrage Ty Lee.

She glanced downward; Azula met the now pouting Ty Lee. And though her expression was meant to be intimidating, the princess only thought of how helpless she looked. One flick of her wrist and she’d be dead, so why had she just laid there? Did she actively seek death?

“I can’t read your mind, Ty Lee.”

The acrobat said nothing, didn’t even open her mouth to protest. She remained there, lying on the ground, much like a leper as it begged for spare change.

“Come on, just spit it out already; unless you want me to move you myself,” was all Azula said.

Again, no response.

Fed up with her games, Azula knelt down. One hand went underneath the brunette’s shoulders, while the other beneath her gangly legs. In a single, smooth motion, the princess lifted Ty Lee from the hard ground; her body hadn’t even shaken as she walked toward the bed.

Taken aback by Azula’s actions, Ty Lee gripped at the princess’ armored shoulders, she shook them in a sad attempt to make the princess drop the her.

Azula scoffed as it warranted another glare from the brunette.

“Azula, let go off me.”

Somehow, the princess pushed down her urge to silence Ty Lee.

“And drop you? You do _realize_ that if I do that, you can break your back. And how will you fight alongside me if you’re rendered useless by such a pitiful back injury?”

“ _Jeez_ , it’s not like you’re not going to drop me from the palace’s roof,” Ty Lee bit back.

“How do you know that?”

For a moment, the acrobat grew silent, her eyes veered off to the side as her face grew a more concerned look.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, Azula dropped the girl onto her bed, the force of which made Ty Lee yelp.

“Why am I on your bed?” The brunette said. She collected herself.

Azula noted that her hair was slightly a mess, her braid just a bit too loose. Quite unsightly.

“What do you think?” The princess cocked up a brow.

The two stared at one another, Ty Lee in particular felt the silence to be suffocating her. The brunette grabbed at her left arm, turned away from the princess—who looked more clueless than resolved.

Azula noted how Ty Lee’s face grew flushed, her fingers fidget on her arm as the girl began to quiver. Though, she couldn’t tell if it was due to fear or something else. Was she sick?

“I never thought you were a pervert,” Ty Lee said.

Azula could feel her face twist, mouth slightly agape.

“What are you talking about?”

Ty Lee peaked up, still unable to fully face the princess.

“You know…”

“What?” Azula asked.

The brunette quirked up a brow, her stare meeting Azula’s.

Ty Lee’s arms were now at her sides, no longer clinging on to her shoulders; the formerly red glow on her skin had now tamed to a measly pink blush.

“Oh, I guess you don’t know after all.”

Azula saw Ty Lee giggle at her; the softest giggle she’s heard in her life. Her mouth was stretched from ear to ear, covered only by the thin fingers of her hand. As her body shook in rhythm to the laughing, Azula pursed her lips.

“You’re not making any sense,” the princess scowled.

Finally, Ty Lee finished laughing, her attention now turned to the confused royal.

“Don’t worry about it, Zula.”

The slim fingers of the brunette made their way to Azula’s cheek; it caressed the alabaster skin ever so gently. Delicately, and slowly, Ty Lee’s hand ran past the princess’ skin, played with the small baby hairs at her nape.

Coaxed by the graceful touch of her companion, Azula leaned in closer to the brunette. Ty Lee smiled, her formerly cloudy eyes now lit up, whilst the royal felt nothing on her face—with the exception of the brunette’s fingers as it ran along her jowl.

For some reason, Azula’s arms felt compelled to wrap themselves around Ty Lee; it closed the remaining distance between them. And in their solitary warmth, the princess could feel the brunette’s arms rest on her back.

“Ow, your armor is kind of sharp,” the brunette said.

“Well, it _is_ armor.” Azula didn’t break the hug, even after she finished her sentence.

The two of them remained that way, they held each other in an embrace for who knows how long. And even if Ty Lee tried to wriggle her way out of it, Azula would merely pull her back in.

The princess couldn’t bear the thought of letting go, at least not for another five minutes. If they stayed like that for longer, then the warmth wouldn’t dissipate, the feeling would stay.


	3. MEDDLING BOY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko saw Ty Lee in Azula's room and assumes the worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my attempt at a plot. I Hope you like it. :)

**MEDDLING BOY**

“I know what you’re doing.” The words came out of Zuko’s mouth, slow and steady.

His face, however, told a different story. The stress of his eyebrows and how keenly he stared at Azula made her wonder what exactly did she do this time? Not that it mattered.

“Whatever do you mean?” The princess didn’t bother to face her brother. Instead, she returned to the scroll Ty Lee had given her.

It had quite the drab story; a tale of two lovers from warring clans. In its essence, just another sappy tragedy romance. One Azula had read many times over, mostly unwillingly.

She planned on finishing it before supper, more than manageable, as the story itself was quite predictable. Azula wouldn’t have to read it in full to understand where the plot was headed, and how it would get resolved. A tale like this must end in a double suicide.

It was so obvious. The both of them could not marry, nor even be together in public without facing the ire of those around them. And in their despair, one or the other will suggest suicide to be their only escape.

Agni, she was sick of reading the same garbage plotline over and over again. Same story, different scroll.

“What are you doing to Ty Lee?” The prince asked.

Almost instantaneously, Azula quirked up a brow, her eyes still on the scroll.

“What are you talking about _Zuzu_?” She asked, cool as waterflow.

Zuko didn’t take kindly to his sisters feigned ignorance. He raised his voice, if only slightly.

“Yesterday, I saw Ty Lee in your chambers. What did you do to her?”

Foolish boy. He should’ve kept his nose where it belonged.

“What of it?” Azula asked.

“So, you’re not denying it.” Zuko’s voice was low, hoarse, even.

“What is there to deny? What you said was true. _Now_ , can you leave me be so I can finish this awful story?”

The prince pursed his lips.

“Don’t play dumb _._ I know you’re doing something to her. What is it?” His words were nowhere near forceful enough to be a command, nor soft enough to be a statement.

Still, Azula remained unfazed. Her fingers kept unrolling the scroll, her eyes trotted past the literary jargon of the tale.

“Answer me.”

 _Tch._ She pursed her lips. Her hands placed the scroll atop the table; eyes finally met Zuko’s gaze.

Azula could sense the confusion which emanated from his eyes alone. The way his lips quivered; his hands curled to his sides. He was so clearly disgruntled. But for what?

The girl stood up. With a slight frown, she answered her brother’s query in an impatient tone.

“Fine. If you _must_ know, I didn’t do anything to her. She entered my chambers of her own free will; I had no hand in the matter.”

Zuko relaxed his glare, though his face still portrayed an air of doubt that loomed over the both of them. With his hands now rested, the boy’s formerly tense body stood up right.

“I find that hard to believe. Especially coming from you.”

A scowl formed on Azula’s face, as she began to grow tired of her brother’s terrible games. Games are supposed to be fun, exciting, stimulating. But so far, the only feeling she’s received from this one is a headache.

Zuko took a step back, his body shook for a split second as he saw the frown. But soon, the prince regained his composure. He straightened his stance and continued to glare at his now displeased looking sister. But even with all that bravado, the boy couldn’t bring himself to meet Azula’s eyes.

 _‘Typical’_ She thought.

The princess sighed, “I don’t get you, Zuzu. I answered your question, but you didn’t go away. Instead, you’re standing in front of me with that _stupid_ look on your face.”

A grunt escaped the princes’ lips.

“I have a ‘stupid’ look on my face because I doubt you’re telling the truth.”

Azula scoffed.

“Well I am. And quite frankly, I’m _sorry_ that you just can’t wrap your head around that concept. Now, leave me alone so I can finish this scroll.”

With that, the girl sat back down and quickly picked up where she last left off.

Zuko wanted to say so much more, the many words he’s yet to tell his sister, the questions that nagged at his psyche since he saw them together. But he knew that he couldn’t get anywhere like this.

So just like that, he left the study.

As the princess heard the doors shut, her hands trembled. It was foolish of her to show such affections with her doors wide open, for all to see.

What will Zuko l say to other people?

Well, he’d probably go to that fatso uncle of his first, either to seek guidance or to vent. And Iroh, he’d probably be just as confused as Zuko himself.

Then, he’d tell Mai, which would plant the seeds of doubt within her. If she knew that the princess had a weakness, she’d stop listening to Azula’s every will and command. She wouldn’t be at her beck and call had she known the royal to indulge in such pathetic emotions. And worst of all, she could leave Azula’s side and turn against her.

But the uncertainty of losing one person, pales in comparison to the abject fear Azula felt when she considered how her father will react.

Her breath hitched; eyes could no longer focus on the scroll; her hands even refused to hold it up. The only thoughts present in her mind was how her father would take the news.

He’s never been a merciful man, not even a bit understanding. And if he heard that his right-hand man, his very own daughter had grown attached to someone much lower that Azula herself, who knows what he’ll do to her?

Zuko, _that rat_. He must be sorted out, before it’s too late.

Azula gritted her teeth as she rolled the scroll back up. She stood up, stormed towards her chambers and out the study, shaky hands pushed aside whoever was in her way.

This isn’t good. She needed to figure what to do, less she wants to get banished.


	4. NIGHT TIME

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OOF, angst. :0

**NIGHT TIME**

Once again, Azula found herself sat next to Ty Lee near the pond. The latter threw breadcrumbs into the pond, and the princess could only watch as she saw those defenseless creatures gobble it up. She looked around and noted the absence of people.

Not uncommon, as she remembered the time. The afternoon shine had now been replaced with a darkness. The sun’s formerly bright rays, the same ones that would blind if you dared to look up for too long, had dimmed. Now, all that remained was the soft gleam of the moon. So faint was its light, it barely bounced off the pond

The princess had invited Ty lee over, as she wanted to tell her about Zuko. But before that, she supposed that a little time chatting in the garden wouldn’t be too bad.

She conjured a blue flame, as it allowed her to see Ty Lee better.

The brunette looked at peace. Within her soft gaze, her cloudy eyes reflected Azula’s blue fire, a twinge of azure added into the otherwise milky gaze. Her head rested on the princess’ shoulder, her arm clung onto Azula’s, while the other laid still beside her.

She was so close, so vulnerable. If Azula wanted to, she could snuff her out, then and there. But she wasn’t suspicious, alarmed, or even held her guard up. The girl sat next to the fire nation’s feared princess with such tranquility.

Azula bit her lip, her eyes glued to Ty Lee’s face. She couldn’t recognize if it were due to the moon’s light, or a strange hallucination that had overtaken her, but the acrobat looked quite pretty.

The pale face that had been illuminated by Azula’s very own light, the slight smile on her face, the intrigue that grew in her eyes as she admired the moon’s majesty. All of it was lovely.

“The moon is so pretty. You know, sometimes I wonder how it was made. Did Agni put it there just because? Or was it created by something else?

“Maybe he saw that when it was night time, mankind was scared of the dark, since they couldn’t see anything. So, being the ever kind being he is, Agni gave us the moon. With it, he can reflect his light upon us, even during the night.”

Azula merely nodded at the statement as she continued to stare at her.

A giggle slipped past the acrobat’s lips, as she noticed how intently the princess had been looking at her.

“Creep,” was all she said. But it was more than enough, as it snapped Azula back to reality.

Heat crept up the princess’ face as she averted away from the sight. She’d been caught, and couldn’t save face.

“No, it’s okay, Azula. I was just joking.”

Ty Lee paused before she continued.

“I’m just not used to you staring at me. It’s kind of embarrassing just thinking about it, actually.”

Azula quirked up a brow.

“Why would it make you embarrassed?” she queried.

“Well, you usually don’t stare. And when you do, it’s probably because you’re planning something. And that something is usually a plot to either manipulate or overthrow someone.”

“Well, I _am_ planning something.” Again, the princess’ words were delivered deadpan.

“I bet you are,” the brunette smiled, her eyes unable to meet Azula’s.

An air of silence overtook the both of them. And for a while, neither wanted to say anything. Azula in particular felt the void of words to be better than holding a conversation.

Life is much simpler in silence. She wouldn’t need to waste her breath in talking, nor did the princess have to bother with the babbling of others. In silence, there were no if, ands, or buts. She wouldn’t have to say or do anything, for what was there to do?

The princess turned around, only to find that Ty Lee had been staring at her.

“My, my, how the tables have turned,” Azula said. Ty Lee laughed at her little comment.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You just look really pretty today. Well, you look pretty every day.

“But you look _extra_ pretty today. Like, really, really pretty. Maybe because Agni is shining down on you.” Ty Lee smiled.

 _‘I could say the same for you,’_ Azula thought. But no matter, she couldn’t stall anymore. How ironic.

Just as Azula opened her mouth to speak, slender fingers reached out to the princess; a familiar sensation of her cheek being caressed grazed past the girl’s cheek.

She continued to lovingly brush her fingers against Azula’s skin, it drove the latter mad. She wanted to say something, she needed to speak. But she couldn’t. It wasn’t possible, not if Ty lee kept up that up.

Azula gritted her teeth as she placed her free hand on Ty Lee’s shoulder. Just like that, the princess pulled the acrobat into a tight hug. The fire in her other hand was now extinguished, as it too wrapped itself around her.

Ty Lee reciprocated almost immediately. Though, it was made slightly difficult from how tightly Azula embraced her. But nevertheless, she hugged the princess either way, her head rested on the royal’s shoulder.

Azula felt at peace in the brunette’s arms, almost safe.

“Ty Lee…” The words died in her mouth before she could finish the sentence.

Azula could feel the brunette rustle underneath her as she merely hummed in response.

“I want to talk to you about something.”

Ty Lee thought for a moment.

“Hmm, okay.”

Her grip on Azula was just a tad bit weaker than earlier. The princess compensated; she clung tighter onto the acrobat, so tight it felt like Ty Lee had been hugging a platypus bear.

“Zuko knows about us.” Was all Azula said.

“Okay, what about it?”

The princess envied how lightly she thought of the situation.

“ _It means_ that he’ll tell everyone about it. He’ll tell Mai, his fat uncle, and father…”

For a moment, Azula couldn’t speak, she didn’t dare.

What would she do if her father found out about Ty Lee and her? Will he punish Azula? Treat her like he would Zuko? Or worse yet, will he banish her? Never to return to the fire nation till she’s washed clean of her weakness.

“What’s wrong, Zula?” Ty Lee asked.

She had noticed how Azula’s body trembled. Her grip on the brunette had become taut, almost cramped. No matter how much Ty Lee tried to re-adjust her position, she couldn’t move past the princess’ arms.

With a soft voice and a bit slower this time, Ty Lee asked once more.

“Azula…what’s wrong? I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

It took a while for the brunette to get an answer. But eventually, the princess relented.

“I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know what to do. What if father hears about it? I’ll be done for. He’ll banish me, I’ll be a disgrace.”

Azula had choked back the fear that had bubbled up inside her since this morning, her lips even trembled as she uttered the first words of that sentence.

It was so ironic, all of it. This was the same girl that used fear to manipulate others, to make them bend to her every will.

And yet there she was; her body shook as her mind rushed to the many possibilities of what the firelord might do to her. It was all a mess. _She_ was a mess.

Ty Lee didn’t say anything, she too was at a loss of words. What was there to say? What was there to add? Azula and her both know that firelord Ozai was not a kind man, nor an understanding father.

“I want to do something, but you have to let go of me first,” the brunette said.

Azula paused.

“I don’t want to.”

“Please? I won’t go anywhere, _I swear_.”

The princess paused once more; the fingers that held on the brunette shuddered as she considered the idea. Eventually, however, she let go of Ty Lee. Azula felt her face contort, her lips slighted, almost to protest against their parting.

Now relieved of Azula’s tight grasp, thin fingers slid toward the princess’ face once more, both hands gently held the pale skin. Slowly, the touch of Ty Lee’s skin soothed the stressed princess, gently coaxed her to return to a more level-headed state.

Hands grabbed at the brunette’s waist, pulled her closer to Azula. Ty Lee paid no mind.

“That does sound like a really bad problem. And I don’t know what’ll happen either. But I do know that whatever does, we’ll figure something out.

“Even if your dad casts you out and Zuko turns his back on you, you’ll still have me.

“And I mean it,” the brunette finished her monologue.

Many thoughts sped through Azula’s mind. Most of them revolved around why Ty Lee would say so much about Azula, and how sure she was that even if the princess got banished—she’d find a way to meet her.

Azula pursed her lips at the sight of Ty Lee. What was wrong with her?

“You mean that?” She asked.

“I just said that,” the brunette answered immediately, not a slight hesitation in her voice.

“Are you sure?”

_“Yes. Ugh, Agni.”_

Ty Lee’s hands rested on Azula’s shoulder; a tight grip struck the princess.

“ _I don’t get it_. I keep telling you that no matter what happens, I’ll stay with you. But for some reason, you don’t believe me. Am I doing something wrong? Am I not good enough for you?”

She shuddered; her grasp shoulder quivered as her body followed suit.

“Am I not good enough?” Her voice was low.

Ty Lee looked down, averted her eyes from Azula. Her body now laid against the princess, with her arms wrapped around the princess.

The princess sighed; she gritted her teeth.

“Don’t be so upset, you know I didn’t mean that.”

“Really?” Ty Lee asked in a hushed voiced.

The princess smirked; a small giggle escaped her lips.

“Now you’re starting to sound like me.”

_“Oh no,”_ the brunette said in a voice so exaggerated it made her out to be an ember island player.

Both of them laughed. As per usual, Ty Lee’s was quite soft, restrained, sweet like honey. While Azula’s sounded as if she’d been looking down at a band of peasants. Beneath her feet they would shake, hoped that the princess would only stop at laughter.

The two of them eventually parted, much to Azula’s displeasure.

They had agreed that she’d confront Zuko, pry every bit of information possible from that pathetic excuse of a brother. And just in case, the princess would also visit her uncle, to see if Zuko had given in to his doubt and crawled back to that crazy old man.

Ty Lee on the other hand, would talk to Mai to find out if the news had already reached her.

From there, they’d report back to each other and take the necessary steps to prevent Azula’s banishment.


	5. LET'S TALK

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula has a chat with Mai in an attempt to dig up dirt on Zuko. The whole interaction nearly drives her mad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dearly beloved readers. I Truly didn't expect the first 4 chapters to have so many readers; 304 as i am posting this. I am so very grateful to all the awesome people who took the time out of their day to read my fanfic, y'all are great. And without further a do, i hope you enjoy the latest chapter. :)

**LET’S TALK**

“What is it?” Mai asked in a somber tone.

As usual, she showed no emotion. Not in her face, and certainly not in her voice.

Azula smirked as she leaned against her leather chair. “Why, I wanted to have nice sit-down conversation with my friend.”

With her eyes narrowed, Mai stared at the princess. “What do you want?”

Azula’s fingers twitched as she tapped them on the wooden desk. “Are you deaf? I just told you. Honestly Mai, how did your parents raise you?”

“They didn’t really raise me,”

“Yes, I figured.”

Mai pursed her lips, the start of a frown appeared on the girl’s pale face.

“When are you going to get to the point?”

Azula quirked up a brow. “Eager _,_ aren’t we?”

Mai said nothing.

“Fine, let’s talk.” The princess huffed. Her fingers now rested on the leather chair.

Azula felt a need to scowl. However, her expression only bore a poker face. She couldn’t afford to let any emotion show, not if she wanted to get useful information from the girl.

“So, what is it?” Mai asked.

A frown nearly escaped Azula’s lips, but she managed to push it down.

“For my sake, I’ll keep it short. I simply want to know what you and Zuko do in your spare time together.”

The girl glared at Azula.

“Why do you want to know _that_?”

Azula’s resisted the need to bite her lip; fingers squirmed as she hid them under the desk.

“Mai, it’s rude to answer a question with another question. _Honestly_ , I knew your parents weren’t around to teach you basic manners, but this is just ridiculous.

“Earlier you kept badgering me to get to the point. But now that I’ve finally said it, you won’t answer my question and get it over with. Make up your mind.”

Again, the girl stayed quiet, a not so subtle grimace on her face.

In the ever-consuming void of words, Azula tapped her foot as her golden eyes stared at Mai. They glared at the girl with a fiery might, nearly burning holes into her psyche.

She had been gripping at the last hairs of Azula’s sanity. What was so hard about answering a question? Surely, it couldn’t be _that_ difficult. All she needed to do was open her mouth and push out the words from that sick hole.

Mai rolled her eyes, “ _Fine_. But it’s just boring couple stuff. You sure you want to know?”

Azula nodded. Mai paused for a moment.

“Zuko likes to take me to town square. We’d get our portraits painted, drink at some boring tea shop, he’ll cry about his uncle, then we watch the sun—”

The princess jumped in before Mai finished her sentence, “He cries about his uncle?”

Once again, Mai rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I guess. It gets pretty annoying.”

The poker face had broken, her foot halted its hits to the floor.

It was times like this where the princess is reminded of their differences. It seemed that Zuko had gotten softer since the last time Azula saw the boy. Even after his banishment, with three longs years to reflect on his failures, the boy was still weak.

“Now, why would _Zuzu_ cry about his uncle?”

Mai stared at the girl. Her pupils lacked the spark of a living person, they were cold. Even her body seemed stiff, almost like a corpse.

“You know, he really doesn’t like it when you call him that.”

Azula chuckled, she felt the corners of her mouth crook upward. “Of course, I do.”

With her gaze stuck on the princess, Mai pursed her lips, her body shook as the girl had to physically restrain herself from biting back. Azula merely looked on.

“Do answer the question Mai.”

The girl shrugged as she crossed her arms, “How should I know?”

The princess cocked up a brow once more. “You can’t expect to believe that.”

Mai didn’t bother to face Azula; she crossed her arms and looked off to the side. Smokey eyes grazed past the many shelves that stood beside the princess’ desk.

She heard that it was personally commissioned by Azula herself, all of it. From the desk, to her seat and even all the wooden racks that contained who knows how many scrolls within them. However, the girl had trouble believing that.

The scrolls themselves looked quite boring. Some were about firebending, and that she could understand. But others concerned politics, history, and even art, while the rest had been stuffed so far inside that she couldn’t discern what they were about.

“You know, things would be a lot easier if you’d just be honest with me,” Azula said. And though her delivery was laced in honey, Mai wasn’t stupid enough to fall for it.

The princess frowned, if only slightly. Her fingers continued to fret as they dug into the leather.

“You want to know why Zuko cries about his uncle? It’s because he’s in prison. I think that alone is reason enough.” Finally, Mai answered Azula’s query.

“So, he’s upset that uncle fatso is in prison…”

“I literally just said that.”

Azula’s face twisted into a grimace, her bottom lips quivered as she almost allowed herself to speak her mind. Her feet hit the floor once more, bordering on a stomp, while her hands laid next to her as it destroyed the leather her palms had been clenching.

Through all the strife, she permitted Mai to leave her study. The girl stood up almost immediately, not even bothering to say a curt good bye.

When the doors closed shut, and Azula was sure Mai had left, she rose from her seat. Her chest heaved; fingers had torn holes into the chair.

Azula was different from her brother. He was more open about his feelings, wailing and crying for all to see. But Azula preferred to burn scrolls in the privacy of her study, igniting them in an azure flame. Like water, they evaporated on first touch with the embers.

Her brother, would rest atop a chair to collect his thoughts. Azula threw it across the room. The painting that had been hanging on her wall was now destroyed. It laid on the floor, a mangled mess.

Azula balled her hands into fists and punched the hard concrete, over and over again. The one similarity Zuko and her share. She didn’t care that a stinging feeling crept up her hand, or that she spotted blood from the corner of her eye. The princess’ hands didn’t stop. They couldn’t stop. She would not allow them to.


	6. WHAT HAPPENED?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW! Implied/references to self-harm.
> 
> Ty Lee confronts Azula about her busted hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings my beloved readers :) I'd like to say a few words before the chapter begins. Firstly, i have updated the fic into teen and up, because i realized that it will be touching on some heavy stuff, and will continue to do so for the rest of the fic. Secondly, i decided to add a gazebo to the royal garden of the palace. Anyway, without further ado, i hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

**WHAT HAPPENED?**

Once again, Azula lounged in the palace garden. The soft grass brushed up against her skin; the sensation of feathers appeared on her skin. Though she sat beneath a tree, the sun’s relentless onslaught still sizzled her skin, ever so slightly heating up the girl’s arm. How annoying. If what Ty Lee said was true, about Agni and what not, then he’d bestowed too much light on Azula.

Light footsteps approached the princess. Soft and loose; Azula nearly missed them due to the grass. It was clear who walked up to her. She hadn’t need to turn around, not even face the other person.

“Tell me you have good news,” Azula said, her voice was low.

The princess sensed Ty Lee sit next to her, their bodies mere inches apart.

“Well, Mai doesn’t know. So, that’s good.” The brunette’s words were light, as they bounced off her lips with great ease.

Azula quirked up a brow. “How do you know that for sure?”

The girl hummed for a moment as she placed a finger on her chin. Ashy eyes looked up, they met with the blue sky, and the sun’s blinding rays.

“I don’t think Mai would _know_ about us, if she spent most of her time with Zuko.”

Azula quirked up a brow. “And how do you know that Zuko hasn’t told her yet?”

“Weren’t you the one who was supposed to find that out?”

The princess paused. “True. But there have been complications.”

“What kind of complications?”

Azula choked on her words. It was true, she had been left with the task of finding out if Zuko knew. However, due to her hands, things had been difficult. She couldn’t open doors on her own, write, or even pick up a pair chopsticks.

It felt as if she hit a wall every time a finger twitched, or moved. And if the entire hand was in use, the pressure from her knuckles would travel up her fingers, then down to her palm—agonizing pain followed suit.

She looked down, stared holes into the ground. Had she been able to lift up her hands and show Ty Lee, that would’ve been enough. But since it wasn’t an option, Azula had to actually tell the brunette.

The princess frowned; her fingers shuddered slightly. Tension traveled up her hands; her brows furrowed as she held back the need to wince. Though, for a moment, a troubled look still managed to appear on her face.

“I couldn’t talk to Zuko,” She said.

“Why?” Ty Lee asked.

Azula took in a breath, her mind scattered to arrange a correct way to explain the situation. Was it even possible to explain her sorry state without sounding like a fool?

“Zula, why didn’t you talk to Zuko?”

Azula remained silent. She pursed her lips; eyes averted the brunette’s grey stare. What would Ty Lee say? What would she think?

“Azula, what’s wrong?”

As the brunette asked the third question, her arm reached out to grab Azula’s. For a brief second, the princess felt the familiar warmth of Ty Lee’s hands. Though they were calloused, she could her gentle touch was clear on Azula’s palm. Unfortunately, a blunt pain appeared as the brunette pressed a hand against hers.

Almost immediately, the princess coiled away, the motion alone made her hiss. She clenched her jaw, face twisted in pain. And though her fingers remained motionless, that alone wasn’t enough to stop the ache.

In her haste, Azula allowed the sleeve of her robe to be pulled away.

Just like that, Ty Lee was able to see her arm. From the joints of Azula’s fingers, down to the start of her forearm, they were all covered in bandages. The ones which enveloped Azula’s knuckles had blotches of red which starkly contrasted with the clean white gauze.

“Azula…What happened?” Ty Lee asked.

“What do you think?” Azula’s still hadn’t met the brunette’s gaze.

Silence washed over the both of them. Ty Lee bit her lip, the tooth very nearly pierced through the tender skin. Her hands shuddered as she grabbed at the fabric of her pants; the brunette could’ve torn the cloth off its seams had she pulled harder.

“I thought you stopped doing that.”

She looked at Azula’s hands, winced at the sight.

“I _did_ ,” Azula’s tone was sharp, almost dismissive.

Ty Lee furrowed her brows. With her mouth opened and gnarled, the bridge of her nose shriveled up.

_“Your hands are broken.”_

Azula scowled. “They _are not_. What are you? Blind?”

“If they’re not broken, then move them around.”

“Don’t be _foolish_ , Ty Lee. You know I can’t do that.”

“Then they _are_ broken!”

Azula remained calm, for the most part. If she could, she would’ve silenced Ty Lee herself; cover that mouth of hers with the very hands she seemed to love so much. She needed to quiet down, less the girl wanted to awaken the whole palace.

“Quiet,” Azula said in a stern voice.

“How can I be quiet when your hands are broken?”

Ty Lee’s body shuddered, as if the girl had been forced to stay outside during a cold winter’s day.

“Have you gone deaf? I told you they aren’t,” Azula stated

The tension in her eyes grew ever deeper, the bite of her teeth became stronger, and the ache in her chest continued to claw inside her ribs. Her throat tightened which constricted the words that would’ve left her mouth otherwise.

Fallen leaves were crushed underneath Ty Lee’s feet when she stood up. The girl took a few more steps as her shaky hands were balled into fists. She furrowed her brows, pursed her lips.

“Why do you keep doing this?” Ty Lee asked.

“You have no right to judge me.”

The brunette’s eyes widened; her mouth slighted open.

“Azula, it’s not about that. You told me you’d stop hitting walls a month ago, and yet somehow your hands are broken.”

Azula stood up. “Silence.”

“No. I won’t shut up. How long are you going to keep this up? Are you just going to keep hitting things until every bone in your body breaks?”

“I said silence!”

Ty Lee immediately closed her mouth, her face turned away from the princess. A sniffle escaped the girl as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Azula paused, though she too could feel her body shudder. The princess took in a deep breath.

“Stop crying.”

No response. Ty Lee’s breathing was shaky, her body trembling. Ashy eyes stared at the ground, though their vision was obscured.

“I can’t read your mind. So, you better tell me what’s wrong,” Azula said once more.

The words remained on Ty Lee’s throat for a while, they nearly hadn’t made it out. But though her lips had been quivering, she was able to push out a single question.

“Why are you like this?”

Azula pursed her lips. “Define _‘like this.’_ ”

Again, no answer. Azula looked around, and thankfully, no one had walked by.

She took in another breath, her fingers already straightened out to test the waters. It wasn’t as painful as the princess originally thought, but still torturous nonetheless. Even with the sensation that her hand could fall apart at any given moment, the princess extended her arm toward Ty Lee.

The brunette looked up. And as expected, grey eyes were covered up in a sheen of glassy tears. With her brows furrowed, still quivering lips, and squinted eyes, she looked like a wounded animal.

Azula opened her hand, gave it to Ty Lee. The latter took it with no further questions.

Immediately after, the familiar pressure in Azula’s knuckles traveled up her fingers and down to her fists. Azula winced, if only slightly.

The two began to walk further away from the pond. Just a few dozen steps and Azula was able to make out the sight of a gazebo, which didn’t take long for her to reach.

The terracotta tiles stood atop four long legs, each slathered with a dark red varnished and connected by golden colored fences. The front had been neglected, as it was the entrance way. The gazebo itself had been built quite recently, from Azula’s memory, just a few weeks before she first set off to capture the avatar.

The two girls stepped atop the stone floor; Ty Lee cringed slightly at the warm surface. Finally, as they step in the center of the gazebo, Azula let go of Ty Lee’s hand.

She rested the arm beside her, the pressure had yet to disappear, and Azula figured that it would last for a bit longer.

“What did you mean earlier?” The princess asked in a tempered voice.

“Why do you keep doing this your yourself?”

Ty Lee looked away; her eyes grazed past the many fire lilies that surrounded the gazebo. They were in full bloom, and their brilliant red hue shone at the presence of the summer sky.

“Oh please, you’d have done the same,” Azula said briskly.

The brunette parted her lips to speak, but closed her mouth just as fast. She furrowed her brows for a moment, her grey eyes kept staring at the fire lilies that surrounded them.

But eventually, Ty Lee faced the princess. “Azula, you can’t keep punching things when you get mad.”

“Of course, I can. As long as I will it, _anything_ can happen.” Again, Azula’s voice was dismissive.

The brunette pursed her lips.

“No, it’s not about that. Yeah, you can make anything happen. But if you keep hitting things whenever you get mad, one day you won’t be able to use your hands. Do you really want that? Is that what you want to will?”

Azula narrowed her gaze as she felt her lip twitch. “What are you on about?”

Again, Ty Lee pursed her lips. Her hands balled up into fists as she stared at the princess, her face bore the look of a hopeless deer.

“What I’m trying to say is…What if one day, you’ll hurt yourself so bad you won’t be able to do the things you normally do?

“If your hands are broken for good, you won’t be able to fire bend. You won’t be able to hold up a scroll and read it, you won’t be able to eat on your own, and you won’t be able to hug me.”

She paused for a moment. Azula watched on.

“I don’t want that. I don’t want it to happen to you. To _us_ ,” Ty Lee said.

“Is that the issue?” Azula asked as she quirked up a brow.

The brunette merely nodded.

Azula scoffed. “You should’ve said that earlier. I could’ve saved my breath.”

She took in a deep breath, letting go a few moments after. For a while, Azula wondered if she had to take care of it herself, used _her_ way. But now that she knew what was wrong, the answer was so simple.

Her golden eyes remained on the brunette; she hadn’t taken them off her for a second.

“If you’re so bothered about it, then I’ll stop.”

Ty Lee frowned. “You said that last time.”

Azula gritted her teeth.

“Yes, I did. But look at me,” the princess raised her hands, “Even if I wanted to, I can’t.”

Ty Lee couldn’t help but look away from Azula’s bandaged arms. She squinted as her hand grabbed at her arm, nails dug into the fabric of her sleeve.

Again, the both of them stayed silent. Azula had nothing to say, nothing more to add, for what use would it have? All she needed to do was wait for a response.

“Fine…I believe you,” Ty Lee said; her voice neared a whisper.

Azula leaned her body against the golden fence.

“Good. I appreciate your understanding,” Azula paused, “Feel better now?”

“I guess…”

Azula rolled her eyes. No way in hell she felt better. Just look at Ty Lee, how morose she was. Her eyes were still squinted, and covered in a sheen of glossy liquid.

With fingers straightened out, pain rose up Azula’s knuckles. She stepped closer to the brunette; the latter trembled ever so slightly at her proximity. Her arms wrapped around Ty Lee, no matter how painfully loud her fists were screaming at her, she persisted.

Azula held Ty Lee close, and heat rose from her neck as she hastily spat out her words.

“Don’t be so upset.”

Ty Lee didn’t say anything as hands slid around Azula’s back. The brunette buried her face into the princess’ shoulder, a solemn hum left her. For now, they remained in each other’s arms.

Azula pursed her lips from the strain. Curses clawed at the back of her throat, they demanded to be released. Somehow, she managed to choke them back, no matter how much they itched from the back of her throat.

A tremble came from her hands; they begged the princess to let go.

“Zula…” Ty Lee spoke up, though her voice had been muffled through Azula’s robe.

It was almost comforting, to hear her nickname be called out so casually like that. Azula wished that she was able to hear it more often, in situations outside of emotionally charged conversations, or ones that lead to them. That would be nice.

“Leave them,” Azula said.

Against her better judgement, she hugged tighter. Her body ached, every nerve in her hands felt as if they were set on fire; scorching flames maimed the tips of her fingers to the ends of her palms.

So, that’s what her enemies felt like. It was almost amazing, had Azula not been at the receiving end.

The two of them hugged for a while longer before Azula’s hands gave out. And though Ty Lee’s concerned frustrations kept badgering her to stop pushing herself, the princess insisted they kept spending their time together under the gazebo. Skeptical as she may be, Ty Lee agreed.

And so, the two girls talked well into the evening. A small percentage of their conversation was attributed to their plan, just what exactly they’ll do next.

The rest of it was ‘so-so,’ as Ty Lee would put it. The brunette did most of the speaking, but the princess would occasionally chime in. Perhaps, to give a snide remark, or a sarcastic comment—those would always get Ty Lee to giggle.

Overall, Azula saw no need to actively participate. And as the brunette kept on about how exciting her conversations with Mai were, how they had such fun talking about Zuko’s strange sleeping habits. In the midst of it all, Azula caught herself wishing for the moment of mundanity to last.

It was a foolish thought. She was royalty, and Ty Lee was lower than her. And besides, they were both girls, nothing could be done. Her father certainly wouldn’t have it if Azula truly wished for their relationship to go on forever. In fact, he would disown her had he known she was even involved with someone, or worse.

But still, even if such moments would remain short and capricious, she didn’t mind. She wouldn’t care if they had to hide their relationship for the rest of their lives, not if it meant she could preserve the feeling.


	7. SHORELINE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and Ty Lee relax around the shore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greeting my dearly beloved reader, i have 2 things i'd like to say before the chapter begins. Firstly, i made a twitter (@wouldyo41127135) where i will be able to keep anyone who's interested posted on the status of the next chapter, as well as what i'm planning to do regarding said chapter. I will also hold some poles to better help decide the story's trajectory. So, if you are interested, do consider following my twitter. Secondly, i hope you enjoy the latest chapter. :)

**SHORELINE**

Water splashed past Azula’s bare feet, sand slipped between her toes as the princess stood and watch the waves move against her. The ocean was cold, near freezing, as if the water had recently melted from southern icecaps.

Water benders took a liking to the ocean. It wasn’t for no reason, however, as living near a large body of water must be awfully convenient for them. However, Azula couldn’t wrap her head around why they chose to live near the poles.

It was cold there, and if one was caught without their winter coat for even five minutes, they’d surely freeze to death. Yes, it is true that they’d be able to bend everything around them, from the water, to the ice and snow; but the poles seemed a bit too extreme.

It amazed her, how such a backwards civilization could survive the frigid climate. If they managed to survive for so long, common sense dictates that they were doing something right, whatever that may be.

Azula dragged her feet across the now wet sand, her feet lugged some clumps of turf as she took languid steps. From what Zuko told her, his visit to the northern water tribe wasn’t anything extraordinary.

In fact, they were still living in igloos and tents, a mere pitiful wall of snow built between them and the outside world. And even then, the wall seemed to have been built by one idiot, as her _beloved_ brother didn’t need to do much for it to fall. So maybe they were doing something right. But even still, those peasants were still far behind the fire nation. Unsurprising.

 _‘Ty Lee, where is she? And how long does it take to find sea shells?’_ Azula thought.

The girl had invited Azula to spend time near the shore of Harbor city. At first, she dismissed it, the imminent thought of her brother telling everyone about them laid fresh in her psyche, not to mention the fact that Harbor city was terribly crime-ridden.

But after a few minutes of annoying persistence, most of which revolved around how they were to spend time _around_ Harbor city, and not actually inside of it—Azula relented. Because it was either that, or having her ears constantly assaulted.

Azula stepped closer to the ocean, her feet now buried underneath the orange tinted waves. They came and went in a steady rhythm, brushing past her with great ease. The only constant thing was its cool temperature, something Azula wished to change.

In the distance, light footsteps approached her. They bounced atop the soggy ground; the sound of her ever-familiar giggle caused Azula’s ear to twitch.

“Zula, check out this cool sea shell I found,” Ty Lee said.

The princess turned to face the brunette. Her braided locks shone due to the orange light of the setting sun. The shell stuck close to the girl’s ear, her brows rose up as a look of intrigue washed over her face.

Azula pursed her lips. Ty Lee; she was trying to kill her.

“How am I supposed to ‘check it out,’ if you won’t give it to me?” Azula asked.

“I’ll give it to you in a second.”

Despite Ty Lee’s words, she proceeded to listen for _much_ longer. And after the thirty second mark, Azula got tired of waiting.

The princess began to drag her feet once more. She took little steps away from the brunette; her feet continued to collect more sand.

For some reason, the water and how it gently crashed against her skin, it was all quite relaxing. She hadn’t need to worry about Zuko, or her father, or whatever else Azula usually thought of when she’s back at the palace. They were obsolete, hadn’t mattered in the presence of the sea shore.

Her father…Azula wondered what he would say had he known she was ‘wasting’ her time near Harbor city. Well, the man wouldn’t really care what she was doing, or what the princess chose to busy herself with. Realistically, if he did discover Azula’s outdoor activity, he’d at most scowl.

But even then, the unhappy expression had a unique effect of driving fear into the girl. If he rose a finger, Azula always made sure to prepare for the worst, even _if_ she did good. He was volatile like that. No matter how hard she tried to stay in his good graces, there was no denying the man’s mercurial temper.

As the sun’s light grew ever fainter, orange turned into a bluish purple. The water was colder; her feet shivered slightly at the change.

“Hey, I think we should head back.” Ty Lee’s voice came from behind the princess.

Azula turned around, her rather drab expression met with the brunette’s grey stare.

“Done playing with the sea shell?” Azula queried.

“Well, I wasn’t playing with it. More like, listening to the ocean.”

The princess quirked up a brow as she shrugged. “What’s the difference?”

Both of them stood in the water, just enough to cover their heels, the sea surf flowed gently against them. Ty Lee kicked some sand beneath the waves; Azula saw it as a bit strange. If it weren’t damp, weighed down by the water, she would’ve sent it further into the ocean.

“I mean, if I was playing with it, I would’ve thrown it around and stuff. But since I was listening to the ocean, I kind of just, stood there—If that makes sense.”

Azula raised a brow, head slightly tilted. “What?”

Ty Lee smirked as she looked away, an awkward chuckle left her lips.

“Yeah, I knew you wouldn’t get it.”

“So, explain it to me until I do,” Azula demanded.

“Zula, I don’t think we have the time. I mean, it’s getting dark and—”

Ty Lee was interrupted as Azula conjured a blue flame in her left palm; it hadn’t hurt as bad as the princess thought. But even still, the stinging was constant.

“Oh yeah, I kind of forgot you could do that.”

“Ty Lee, elaborate. What’s the difference?”

“I mean, do we really have to?”

“Yes. I want to know.”

Another chuckle left the brunette’s lips. Unlike last time, it hadn’t come from embarrassment.

“But it’s not _that_ important.”

“Ty Lee, stop dodging the question. It shouldn’t be too hard to tell me the difference,” Azula said.

“I know, I know. I’m just saying, it’s not that important. So, I think we should just talk about it another time.”

Azula pursed her lips. “Fine, let’s head back then.”

The two of them continued to dip their feet as the pair walked back to the spot where they left their shoes. They walked side-by-side, Ty Lee in particular was so close to the point where Azula often felt her hand brush past the brunette’s.

Not only was it slightly painful, it irritated Azula.

Heat crept up her neck. “Lee…your hand.”

Ty Lee nearly jumped as she heard her nickname.

“Woah, you haven’t called me that in a _while_ ,” she said, slightly impressed that Azula was able to even speak it aloud.

Azula looked away as her cheeks heated up. She pursed her lips as feet stomped on the near black water. She wanted to scream away the embarrassment, perhaps even scurry away so Ty Lee wouldn’t have to witness her sorry face.

“Your hand,” the princess repeated once more.

Ty lee paused for a moment; her mind wandered around before she realized what Azula had been implying.

“Oh, sorry about that.”

Instead of pulling away, the brunette clung to the arm of the already flustered princess. Her grip was tight, almost vice like, as if a snake had found its way to Azula—coiling around the princess before it eats her

As Azula tried to pull away, Ty Lee only toughened her grasp. And at some point, she found that she could no longer escape, doomed to have her side surrounded by the brunette. By that point, Azula didn’t know what to do.

Ironic, as she had a plan for everything. But the princess never thought she had to escape from such an innocent looking girl.

“What’s wrong, Zula?” Ty Lee asked in light voice.

The princess gritted her teeth. “Don’t you patronize me, Lee.”

“You said it again.”

Azula scoffed. “Don’t touch me, you’ll hurt my hand.”

“Well, I’m grabbing at your arm, not your hand. So, you should be fine.”

The worst part was, she was right. How annoying, Ty Lee shouldn’t be allowed so close to the princess. With all the heat that’s risen from her chest, Azula wondered just how long it’d take before she dropped dead.

Somehow, they managed to find their shoes. Ty Lee was quick to leave Azula’s side, the girl went on a hurry to put on her sandals, or whatever it was she wore. Maybe they were sandals, or shoes; Azula wasn’t sure.

Slowly, her soggy feet left the cold waters and now stepped on the sand. They sunk a bit as a chill went up her leg, the night’s breeze did more than enough to convince her that she needed to put on her boots soon enough.

Azula looked around for a moment, her eyes unable to notice anything in the dark, save for the small excerpt that her flame illuminated.

“Lee, help me put on my boots,” Azula said softly.

Her flame grew just a tad bigger as Azula pointed towards her tall shoes. The brunette grabbed them; Azula sat down around the drier side of the sand.

Her feet were still wet, even covered in sand the more she rubbed them against the ground. It was nice, to have turf, and salt water, and even some small pebbles be stuck against her skin. It was so mundane, so grossly simple.

And to think, crown princess of The Fire Nation, Azula herself, would partake in such trivial things. The smell of the not so distant sea, the cold shivers that traveled up and down her leg, even to the way her hand stung as she kept it up.

She hadn’t needed to be there. In fact, Azula should’ve been up in her room, ready herself for bed, think of another plot to impress the fire lord. But instead, the princess stayed at the shore as Ty Lee put her shoes on for her.

“Thanks,” the princess muttered.

“Yeah, no problem.”

Ty Lee remained seated in front of the princess as the two girls merely stared at one another, it proved too much for Azula. The princess quickly averted her eyes as she extinguished the flame.

“What wrong?” Ty Lee asked.

Azula paused. “Stop staring at me.”

“Well, you do this to me all the time. So, I think it’ll be fair for me to return the favor.”

Again, she was right.

“You’re unbelievably cruel,” Azula said.

“Right, sure, Zula.”

The princess pursed her lips. For a moment, she considered biting back. However, Azula knew that the conversation would only devolve into one of their many, many, useless arguments. Honestly, it was a miracle that the two hadn’t already squabbled over something ridiculous. Azula intended to keep it that way, less she wanted to waste anymore of her time.

The princess looked off to the side. As expected, she found nothing of interest, both due to the lack of light and from the very fact that Harbor city wasn’t the fun and happy place she used to think it was.

When Azula was a girl, she had the foolish belief that the circumstances outside were equivocal to that of the palace. She would be surrounded by servants, left and right, begging to be commanded by her royal presence. But now that she’d grown out of such an embarrassing phase, she couldn’t help but think of how _uninclined_ her younger self was—despite everybody’s appraisal of her intellect.

Then again, they were most likely spouting such compliments to get into her good graces. Though Azula _did_ consider their comments to be correct, she was still able to see through the vapid air of superficial charm they put up.

In fact, now that she thought about it, Azula had never received genuine compliments. Sure, everyone loved to tell her; indulge her by ceaselessly admiring the princess’ perfection, but they rarely meant it. Honestly, it seemed that the only source of genuine praise Azula would receive was from her father. And even then, she wasn’t stupid enough to think of them as everlasting.

He would only humor the girl’s ego had she done something to appease him. Outside of that, no such compliments would come her way. But it could’ve be worse, she could’ve been treated like Zuko; an unwanted rat that had been banished for three long years.

But Azula would be lying had she said she didn’t mind her father’s rare affection. However, he was fire lord, so it would only make sense for him to not have plenty of time.

Even with such a rational explanation, Azula’s chest wouldn’t stop aching.

“Hey, I really think we should be heading back,” Ty Lee’s voice cut through Azula’s train of thought.

The princess looked back at the girl. “Lee, tell me something good about myself.”

“What?”

Azula pursed her lips. “Compliment me.”

“Uh, okay,” the brunette paused, “You’re super smart...?”

Azula sighed. “I knew it.”

In one smooth motion, Azula stood up, a ball of azure flames now in her left palm.

“Come along.”

“Wait, what was _that_ about?”

“We can discuss it another time.”

The princess began to walk away from the shore line, she expected Ty Lee to do much the same. However, the brunette kept with her pattern of unpredictability.

“Oh yeah, and one last thing before we leave,” Ty Lee said.

Azula took in a deep breath. She released it in a long, long sigh. The girl turned around.

“What now?”

Ty Lee approached the disgruntled princess. Her slender fingers slid past Azula’s cheek. Gently, they caressed the cold skin, her calloused fingers drove Azula’s flame to burn brighter. The brunette smirked as she noticed the change in temperature, from both the flame, and Azula herself.

They then slid down the princess’ face; nested around her waist. Ty Lee pulled Azula close, the distance between the both of them now gone, as the brunette wrapped her arms around Azula’s back.

“I love you,” Ty Lee whispered.

“…You’re so cruel.”

Azula dispelled the fire. Just like that, her hands gripped at the brunette, the embrace much tighter than Ty Lee’s.

Her knuckles screeched at her; the stinging pain stabbed at the princess’ fingers. Azula couldn’t be bothered to let go. Her body can scream and shout all it wanted, she wouldn’t listen, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

Ty Lee, her plan had worked, Azula _was_ going soft.


	8. RAT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula kicks a tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greeting my beloved readers. First of all, i'd like to apologize that the creation of this chapter took so long. Secondly, i hope you enjoy this latest chapter. :)

**RAT**

Azula straightened the sleeves of her robe. Her hands stung, but she paid no mind. Though it had only been three days since she effectively busted her knuckles, Azula had grown accustomed to the pain.

No longer was it unbearably agonizing for her to lift a finger, nor did it pain the princess to move her hand around. But even still, there were limits to how much Azula could hold certain objects, such as chopsticks and lamps. She also needed to refrain from holding her hands up for long stretches of time. A lesson she learned the hard way, as she needed to escort Ty Lee back to the palace, all the while lighting a flame so both of them wouldn’t end up lost.

Ty Lee decided to stay the night, as it was already late. Normally, Azula would be opposed to such ideas, as it would further drive up Zuko’s suspicion. However, dear _Zuzu_ has been so preoccupied with his ‘girlfriend’ to care much about the company Azula kept.

In fact, the both of them were currently spending time together. Azula would know, for she stood before them as they continued to kiss in front of her.

Azula felt breakfast creep up the back of her throat. Yet somehow, she managed to push it back down; the taste of komodo chicken lingered on her tongue.

She cleared her throat as the girl wondered why she had to deal with such a sight laid before her. She expected nothing less from those two idiots; every second they spent together just another excuse to be all over each other. But to see it in person, the princess couldn’t help but cringe as her face tensed up.

Quite frankly, Azula was sick of it. She wanted it to end, and fast. Unfortunately, their relationship continued on, with no foreseeable conflicts to act as a catalyst for the much-needed break up.

“What do you want?” Zuko asked, a displeased look stuck on his face.

Azula rolled her eyes. “I need to talk to you.”

The boy stared at his sister for some time. Gears in his head turned as he truly did consider abandoning Mai to talk with her. But unfortunately, for Azula at least, he went back to kissing that shell of a person he called his lover.

Again, Azula’s breakfast ran up her throat, nearly escaping had she not looked away.

“Oh Mai, Ty Lee needs help untangling her braid.”

The girl pulled away from Zuko. She muttered something about how serious such a thing might be as she walked away. Although, Azula could feel her stare as she strolled past the princess. Much like Mai herself, it was cold, not a semblance of life hid anywhere within it.

No matter, now it was just her and her brother.

Zuko stood up, a not so happy look still remained atop his scarred face.

“What do you want?” He asked again.

Azula merely looked at him. “I heard you were visiting uncle fatso in the prison tower.”

“That guard told you,” he exclaimed.

“No, you did, just now.”

_‘That was easy,’_ Azula thought.

For a split second, Zuko opened his mouth, ready to throw all sorts of accusations and whatever else at Azula. But he didn’t, there was no point. The boy was backed into a corner, there was nothing he could do to save face or salvage the situation. He was so helpless, just like those turtleducks. It made Azula sick.

For someone so obsessed with honor, he chose not to defend what little pride he had within him. What a fool.

“You do realize that if you keep visiting him, people will suspect you of plotting against father,” Azula said.

Zuko said nothing.

Azula continued, “Don’t worry, _Zuzu_ , I won’t tell anyone. But you see, I don’t think I have to, since anyone with a brain has figured it out.”

The princess paused for a moment.

“You’ve started acting a lot bolder since you came back. So bold, that you continue to visit that uncle of yours. And with that same ‘bravery,’ you dared to accuse me of something I never did,” she said.

The prince furrowed his brows. “What are you talking about?”

Azula quirked up a brow. “Back at my study. Honestly, just how bad is your memory?”

She continued.

“Now, my concern is, what if all that courage you got from uncle fatso drove you to do something foolish?”

Azula paused for a moment.

“Had you told anyone about that, coupled with the fact that words gotten around about your visits, people might just get the wrong idea and think that you’re trying to deface me as a part of some plan your uncle made.”

Again, Zuko remained silent.

“What I’m trying to say is, just don’t do anything stupid, and especially something you’ll regret,” Azula said.

The girl took a step forward; she anticipated Zuko to sit back down and submit to her very presence. He didn’t. The boy stood firm as he gritted his teeth. Golden eyes glared at the princess, they burned holes into the girl as the prince opened his mouth.

“Why do you even care? In fact, me visiting uncle has nothing to do with you. And even if I _was_ found out, you’d have all the more to gain.” The words came out of Zuko’s mouth, slow and steady.

“What do you have to gain from warning me? Unless, you have something you’re hiding too, and you’re scared that I’ve found out,” he said.

Azula’s eyes widened, as if she had just seen what a Zuko filled with actual wit can do to her. For a while, she didn’t say anything. No thoughts crossed her mind, no ideas on how to humiliate him back into place, nor even a semblance of a plan to disprove his theory.

She couldn’t say anything. Because, whether Azula liked it or not, he was right. She _was_ afraid. Not just of what others would say, but what her father would do to her if he did discover the one aspect of Azula’s life she’d squirreled away from him.

Fire Lord Ozai was not a kind man, he was not an understanding man, and he was certainly not a forgiving man. So, for him to find out about Azula’s affair, that would certainly mark the day all of her accomplishments, and everything else she’d done in the name of her father to become obsolete. For all of it to be useless, all her hard work and dedication to the Fire Lord gone just because she couldn’t close her door.

Azula clenched her fists, she didn’t care that her hands felt like they were being torn apart by the claws of a tiger monkey. A scowl manifested on her face; her eyes continued to glare at Zuko, the ferocity of the girl’s stare was enough to make her brother wince. Her arms shook violently, they begged to be released.

Azula’s nose scrunched up, thoughts of completely slaughtering her brother then and there managed to speed past her psyche. And honestly, it took everything within her to not go through the plethora of murderous ideas her mind had already compiled.

The princess took another step towards her now terrified brother, for his face was painted with fear. He was pathetic, completely weak. It disgusted Azula that she was even related to something like him.

“You…who do you think you are? Or have you forgotten?” Azula growled.

Zuko didn’t say anything, he couldn’t. All the boy did was continue to step backwards before he finally sat back down.

Azula’s scowl grew ever deeper. He wasn’t even fighting back.

“You have. So, let me remind you, _Zuzu_. You are the disgraced prince of the Fire Nation. You were banished for three long years to complete an impossible task, and you wouldn’t have returned had I not stepped in and helped your pitiful self.

“And do you remember _why_ father banished you in the first place? Why he was so quick to discard his first born? It’s because you were and still are a failure, and a coward. Just like a rat, you cowered in front of him, completely defenseless as you are now.

“So, don’t tell what I am and aren’t afraid of, when you couldn’t even defend your honor in an Agni Kai. Just like the rat you are, you didn’t fight, you cowered, and you lost.

“You’re a rat, Zuko. A rat and a failure! What right does someone like _you_ have to lecture me?”

Silence washed over the both of them as Azula finished her tirade. Zuko slouched over, defeated. The princess, on the other hand, merely scoffed. She thought of how Zuko was, ultimately, a pathetic waste of space. He was a failure, a coward—and above all else, he never learned his lesson.

So, for him to get up on his high horse, to lecture Azula about how she was scared of him, it infuriated her to no end.

Heat travelled up her face, fingers shuddered as she wished to end everything right then. Her breathing became labored as Azula continued to grit her teeth, eventually biting into her tongue. Much like her fingers, her eye twitched, face still twisted into a morose scowl.

Azula walked away. Her feet stomped on the rocky ground, steps quick and fast. As she trailed down the mountain, a tree caught her eye. It stood tall amidst the hot summer day; its trunk especially seemed rather thick.

She approached the tree; hands still shook as Azula’s feet made contact with its roots.

Zuko…he truly had gotten bolder. But even with all that ‘bravery’, he was still a weakling. It didn’t make him any stronger, any smarter, and it certainly hasn’t made him higher than Azula herself. But even if she knew the truth, that she was still better than her brother, Azula couldn’t stop the boiling feeling in her chest.

He had no right above her, she was still at the top. Over and over again, Azula would repeat such thoughts in her head. But the fire inside her had yet to be extinguished. Hot embers were locked inside of the princess, contempt bubbling to the surface.

She scowled; her brows furrowed as Azula kicked the tree. The first kick was relatively harmless, it had done nothing more than simply cause a mild pain to rise from her leg. The second one amplified the pain two-fold. Then, the third came with such a force Azula nearly lost her balance and fell.

Even still, the princess continued to kick. Again and again, she wouldn’t stop, even if her foot was about to split in two. It was only until the tree caught on fire that she stopped, upset that she couldn’t have done more to the poor wood, now consumed in flames.

With a scoff, Azula walked back to the palace, the sound of fire crackling behind her as she left.


	9. TINY TREE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula tries to do some work. But instead, Ty lee ropes her into a conversation about feelings and things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings my beloved readers. Firstly, i'd like to apologize for how long this chapter took me to make. And secondly, i hope you enjoy this chapter. :)
> 
> NEWS! I will not be updating till next Sunday due to tests. I am deeply sorry, and thank you for understanding.

**TINY TREE**

“What am I looking at?” Azula asked, her face twisted in confusion.

Ty Lee smiled as her eyes looked down to the plant that rested atop Azula’s desk.

Inside the small clay pot, there stood a small tree, barely tall enough to rise past Azula’s brush. Unlike any normal tree, ones that would be left in the ground to grow into mighty forests, it was a dwarf. The leaves formed into clouds, and had they not been tied down by the plant’s branches, the princess wouldn’t find difficulty in imagining the green shrubs floating away.

“It’s a bonsai tree,” Ty Lee said.

Azula quirked up a brow. “A bonsai tree?”

“Yeah, they’re cute little trees. I found this little guy in my family’s garden, and since no one wanted take care of it, I figured I’d give it to you,” Ty Lee said.

“And what makes you think I would be willing to care for such a sad looking plant?”

Ty Lee looked away for a moment as she searched for the proper words.

“Well, you’re always so stressed all the time. And whenever I see you, you’re so worried about the Fire lord, and Zuko, and all that stuff.

“So, maybe if you took care of this tree, you’ll be able to get your mind off of things. You know, maybe relax a little.”

Azula’s face now returned to its formerly confused state. Her eyes in particular looked at the tree, then back at Ty Lee as she seriously considered if the brunette had lost it. A tree couldn’t bring her solace; it’s a plant. It cannot speak, or think for itself, let alone give Azula some form of leisure.

“Ty Lee. I can’t take care of the tree,” the princess said in a flat voice.

“Why not?”

Azula sighed. “We are on our way to Ba sing Se, and you expect me to care for this plant?”

Ty Lee shrugged. “Well, yeah, I guess.”

Again, Azula’s attention wandered to the tree.

“How does one even take care of such a tiny plant?” she asked.

Again, Ty Lee’s eyes looked off to the side, a finger placed on her chin as she recollected.

“Um, you should put it in a spot with a lot of sunlight, and you should only water it if it looks dry…I think that’s about it. But if you ever need any help, I can always lend you a hand.”

“Water and sunlight? Is that all?” Azula asked.

Once again, Ty Lee shrugged, as she had nothing else to add. Her braid fell gingerly on her shoulder as she did so, and Azula wished for the locks to be free. Too often did she see Ty Lee with a tight braid, her bangs the only sign that the girl possessed flowing waves of hair.

The princess averted her stare as she’s reminded of what the brunette said near the shores of Harbor city. She glared too much, looked too much, like a night owl stalking its prey. But if she were an owl, with Ty lee acting as her prey, Azula supposed that it wouldn’t be so bad if she caught the girl with her claws. In her arms, she’d be held, unable to leave Azula’s side.

A sigh left her lips as golden eyes fell upon the potted plant. It laid on Azula’s desk, waiting to be watered and rested near some sunlight. Her room already had some pretty decent light, as the princess specifically requested her room to have larger windows. With more light, it’d be easier to read through the numerous reports stacked next to her. And as Azula wasn’t a fan of reading at night, she’d rather look through them in daylight.

Azula leaned against her chair; skin tingled as the sun shone through her window.

“Fine. I shall care for the plant,” she said.

Ty Lee widened her eyes, slightly taken aback. It was near comical, the expression she had on her face; equal parts disbelief and mild shock. Azula didn’t mind the attention.

“Oh, cool,” Ty lee said.

Azula presumed the conversation was over, and thus went back to the letter her father gave her. It was written by one of his generals, specifying the details of their mission. The princess, and by extension her team, are to visit Ba Sing Se and oversee the Fire Nation’s army around the city. And if need be, quell any unwanted uprisings against their newly established rule.

Her eyes glanced up from the paper; Ty Lee still stood in front of her wooden desk. She had one arm behind her while the other remained by her side. Ashy eyes wandered about Azula’s room. The metal floors, shelves, armor stand, and then her bed.

“You may leave,” Azula said.

The brunette glanced over to the princess. “Well, I may, but I don’t want to. So, I’ll just stay here.”

She finished her sentence with an innocent smile, one that harpooned through Azula’s chest.

Ty Lee made her way to Azula’s bed with ease. Gently, calloused fingers sauntered across its crimson and golden sheets. They only stopped as she reached the pillows, her whole hand now groped at Azula’s defenseless pillow.

“Wow, your bed is super soft,” Ty Lee said.

Azula pursed her lips. “Well, it _is_ a bed.”

The brunette sat on the squishy mattress, even bounced a few times as she giggled here and there.

“I wish my bed was as soft as yours,” the girl said.

Azula scoffed. “Wish.”

The princess returned to the letter, and after a few more paragraphs detailing suspicions of a rising rebel force, Azula sighed and placed the letter aside. She turned to the stack of papers that laid next to her, each one a detailed report from Ba Sing Se. They were sorted in due time, based on subject matter and relevancy, Azula also took into account the date of said reports. The last thing she wanted was to receive outdated information.

Azula combed through the most relevant reports. She picked one which piqued her interest and read on. Much to Azula’s displeasure, she saw another mention of a suspected rebellion force somewhere around the inner walls. With a drab face, she picked another report, which said much the same: _‘A rebellion force has manifested around the inner walls of Ba Sing Se.’_ Again and again, Azula read the same descriptions from various reports.

After a few dozen minutes of reading, the princess discerned that the group was quite small—but that alone wasn’t enough for her to start drawing estimates. Motive was clear enough, they wanted to rid the city of Fire Nation rule. And as for location, she knew they were in the inner walls, as it would take longer for Fire Nation soldiers to establish some type of coherent force so far away from their main supply of resources; that being in the outer walls.

In the reports, it was frequently stated that they continuously attacked supply lines which headed towards the inner walls. That alone was proof enough they were more than a mere peasant uprising. That kind of planning and execution takes time and a bright mind to formulate, something angry farmers lacked. The movement must have some type of leader, perhaps even more.

Then the answer was simple. If Azula wanted to extract the tumor before it fully turned into a cancer that infested the whole city, she must first uncover the identities of these ‘leaders.’ Then, it’ll be easy. She gets rid of them, the rebellion becomes disorganized, a power vacuum forms which will in turn create in-fighting. And from there, Azula can just sit back and enjoy the show.

“What are you thinking about?” Ty Lee asked.

Azula didn’t take her eyes off the papers. “Something I doubt will interest you.”

“That’s not true; I can be plenty interested if I wanted to,” the brunette said.

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.”

The princess’ eyes were stuck on the reports. As they scanned through the many words that littered the document, a scoff escaped her lips.

“Are you _sure_ you’d like to know what I was thinking about?” Azula asked.

“Yes. Oh Agni, just listening to you hint at it is killing me,” Ty Lee said.

The crooks of Azula’s mouth twitched upwards, a vague semblance of a smile took form on the princess’ face. She hummed, as if to humor the brunette’s already extreme curiosity.

“Very well. I was contemplating how to effectively squash a rebellion uprising in Ba Sing Se,” Azula stated.

Much like she expected, Azula heard nothing from Ty Lee, other than a small comment about how complicated such a thing must be. Once again, silence overcame the room. It was nice, as the stillness allowed Azula to focus on reading.

It didn’t take her long to finish reviewing the last relevant report, perhaps another twenty to thirty minutes. Because as it turns out, if one reads ten scrolls a day and finish them before dinner, they get quite good at speed reading—all the while retaining information from each scroll. And in Azula’s case, reports.

Azula figured that it was time for her to start thinking about the bonsai tree. She rose from her chair, the sound of wood grinding against metal alerted Ty Lee, who has all but slept on the princess’ comfy bed.

“You’re done?” The brunette asked.

“Yes,” was all Azula said.

Bandaged hands grabbed the pot. Azula felt a slight sting travel up her fingers, but rather than have the pain stab at her hand, it instead bit at her fingers, like ants tearing apart a sugar cube. She placed the plant on a shelf near the window, right next to her fire bending scrolls, almost to embellish the rather lackluster room. Perhaps the plant wasn’t so useless after all.

“Do you like it?” Ty Lee asked.

Azula kept her eyes on the plant. She watched as its leaves shuddered from the ship’s movement; it almost looked like the plant itself had cowered before her. Not an unusual response.

“I’ve had this plant for less than a day. How am I supposed to dictate whether I like it or not?” Azula asked.

Ty Lee paused. “Well, how do you feel about it?”

The princess took in a deep breath. She turned around; her golden stare now met with Ty Lee’s equally intent gaze. Azula’s eyes narrowed down the brunette who was sitting atop her bed. She sat with her legs crossed, the bed sheets behind her were unkempt, thanks to Ty Lee’s incessant rolling around.

Azula frowned at the sight of messy sheets. “Why are you still here?”

The brunette’s eyes stayed on the princess. “I just wanted to spend time with you.”

The princess furrowed her brows. “Ty Lee, don’t you _already_ do that often?”

“Well…maybe I wanted to spend some extra time with you,” the girl said.

“What?” Azula asked.

She took quick steps towards Ty Lee, eventually reaching the bed. Her eyes burned holes into the girl, who seemed to be more than calm at the sight of an irritated Azula.

“I mean, I’m not lying,” Ty Lee said.

Azula gritted her teeth. A scream clawed at the back of her throat, but she managed to choke it down.

“Answer me. Why are you still here?” Azula rose her voice. Still, Ty Lee remained calm.

“I told you, I wanted to spend more time with you.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Ty Lee wasn’t lying. And of all people, the princess knew that to be true. But even still, it was annoying to have such a constant presence in the room as she was filing through the reports. Azula wanted to open her mouth, wanted to tell Ty lee of all the things she could’ve done had she not been there. But there was no point, her time had already gone.

“You could’ve done plenty of other things, but instead you chose to stay here. It doesn’t make sense,” Azula said.

Ty Lee shrugged. “You’re right, I could’ve done other stuff. But right now, I kind of just want to talk with you.”

“Oh, and another thing,” the brunette’s started, “Not everything has to make sense.”

“Impossible. Everything has a reason, and is thereby logical,” Azula said.

Ty Lee grabbed her hand. She cupped it gently in her palm. “Like what?”

Azula pursed her lips, ants began to pick apart her fingers. She paid no mind.

“Like you. The reason you’re sitting around and doing nothing is to gain my attention. Then, you will use it to reaffirm your own self-worth, to justify that you’re worth more than you actually think.

“It’s not that hard to understand,” Azula said.

Ty Lee paused for a moment before she spoke up.

“Ouch, you got me right where it hurts,” she said in a joking tone.

Ty Lee raised Azula’s hand and placed it against her cheek. She leaned into the princess’ touch, even hummed as Azula stroked her fair skin. The princess bit her lip. The brunette had nuzzled up against the same hand that could spawn fire at any moment, fire capable of burning her face off, or perhaps even electrocute the girl with lightning so fierce, it would rock the ship.

“Does it still hurt? Your hand, I mean,” the girl asked.

Azula looked down at the sight before her. Her stare was met with a seemingly innocent looking girl, so defenseless that she might not be able to stop Azula had she decided to strangle Ty Lee with the very hand that caressed the brunette’s skin. She was so helpless, it nearly made Azula’s chest heave.

“No.” Azula lied through her teeth. But then again, lying wasn’t new to her.

Ty Lee paused as her hand held Azula’s. “Hey…do you love me?”

The princess furrowed her brows. “What?”

Again, the girl remained silent for a few moments. She looked off to the side, allowing Azula’s hand to slip past her chin.

“Never mind,” was all Ty Lee said.

The brunette slowly pulled Azula closer, their faces not too far apart. Confused, the princess kept staring at Ty Lee, as she had disregarded what the girl said back at Harbor city. She wondered if she even had an answer to Ty Lee’s question. _‘Do you love me?’_

Azula looked away, as she didn’t know. In fact, she herself didn’t know what exactly constituted as love. Though, she would see it often in the scrolls she read, and in the miserable plays her mother would drag their family into. Back when her mother was still alive.

“Hey, Zula,” Ty Lee started, “Look at me.”

The princess rolled her eyes back to Ty Lee. The latter placed her hand on Azula’s cheek; it was she who now gently caressed Azula’s skin, with the same slender fingers the princess was so familiar with. Ty Lee gazed back at the princess, some type of emotion hidden behind her grey eyes.

Azula leaned into her touch, her hands eventually made their way to Ty Lee’s back as they pulled the girl into an embrace. Ty Lee hugged Azula back not long after. She buried her face into the princess’ shoulder; her braid once again fell gingerly to the side.

Azula couldn’t answer Ty Lee’s question. She didn’t even know what it meant to love someone. All she knew was that Ty lee brought her comfort and warmth; things she wished to last for a long time. She asked herself if that’s what love meant, but she was still unsure. So, rather than risk looking like an idiot, she stayed quiet.

“I love you,” Ty Lee whispered.

The princess nearly missed it, as her voice was muffled by Azula’s clothes.

She stayed silent, as the princess didn’t know what to say, and if she was even meant to reply. Azula wondered what to do in situations like these, what words would she need to dish out in order to extract a favorable outcome. Her thoughts raced for something to say—to do—so as to not make her seem like a fool.

“Thank you,” was all she could say.


	10. An Announcement.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News i have to tell all of you.

**I'M LEAVING THIS FIC**

The title says it all. I will be leaving this fic. I'm not sure if I'll ever come back to it, or ever finish it. Over the few weeks that i've wrote this fic, i realized that writing this fan-fiction no longer brought me joy. And honestly, i have no motivation to further continue the story. I have moved on to another fic that i'm currently writing. It's another TyZula fic, and it's much, much more mature and **strange**. Over time, i found that writing _that_ fic, gave me more joy than me continuing this one. I already have plans for that fic, whereas for this one, i'm still unsure if it's trajectory. I don't know what i want to accomplish with this fic, and i have no drive to figure it out.

I am so, so sorry. But i don't want to shackle myself to something that i don't like anymore. Thank you so much for reading this far, and i am grateful for your patience and dedication for continuously coming back to read this fic.

-FreshTomatoesdevilish


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